An investigation reveals how Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s role in prolonging Gaza war that erupted in October 2023, a conflict that has killed over 58,303 Palestinians and displaced nearly two million, to safeguard his fragile political coalition and personal power. This prolongation, driven by political self-interest rather than security necessity, has plunged Gaza into a humanitarian abyss and sparked wider regional instability.
Netanyahu’s political survival over peace
Following the Hamas attack in October 2023, Netanyahu’s political downfall appeared imminent. Instead, he manipulated the conflict to solidify his grip on power. Critical cease-fire proposals, including one in April 2024 offering hostage releases and a potential peace path with Saudi Arabia, were quietly buried under pressure from far-right coalition partners such as Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir, who demanded maximalist war aims and expanded settler presence in Gaza. Netanyahu’s refusal to act decisively condemned Gaza to months of ongoing suffering, prioritizing political survival over peace, according to The New York Times.
Ignoring intelligence warnings before Hamas attack
Warnings from Israeli intelligence about Hamas’s preparations and Israel’s vulnerability went unheeded by Netanyahu, who remained obsessed with quelling domestic dissent over his judicial overhaul rather than confronting looming external threats. His neglect helped enable the Hamas attack, the worst military failure in Israel’s history. Afterwards, Netanyahu deflected blame onto the military while manipulating records to conceal his own responsibility, undermining government transparency and accountability according to Times of Israel.
Sabotaging cease-fire negotiations to escalate conflict
Netanyahu repeatedly stalled cease-fire negotiations brokered by regional and international mediators, avoiding discussions on Gaza’s postwar governance for fear of destabilizing his coalition. His decision to expand the war beyond Gaza, striking Hezbollah in Lebanon and initiating a 12-day war with Iran in 2025, was designed to rally nationalist support domestically, despite warnings from the Biden administration against regional escalation. This strategy highlights the dangerous complicity of the US, whose support has enabled Israel’s military adventurism.
Suppressing dissent and weakening democracy
Netanyahu’s government aggressively silenced opposition by firing Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar and launching campaigns to discredit protestors demanding a cease-fire. Attempts to remove Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, according To Anadolu that who challenged government overreach, further exposed a deliberate erosion of democratic institutions to protect Netanyahu from accountability. These maneuvers have undermined Israel’s legal system and ensured impunity for ongoing war crimes.
The staggering human cost and global condemnation
The war’s toll is horrific: tens of thousands of Palestinians killed, including nearly 50,000 children, widespread destruction, starvation, and displacement, according to UNICEF. International courts have issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Israeli officials on charges of war crimes and genocide. Israel’s global reputation is in free fall, with mounting condemnation from human rights organizations and governments worldwide. Yet Netanyahu remains politically entrenched, his coalition strengthened by violence and repression according to Ynet News.
Netanyahu’s Gaza war is a cynical campaign to cling to power at any cost, a tragic example of how political ambition fuels prolonged genocide and destabilizes the Middle East. The United States and Western allies, by continuously backing Netanyahu, share in responsibility for enabling this human catastrophe.
As Gaza burns and millions suffer, the world must demand justice, accountability, and an end to the war prolonged by political selfishness.
